North Salem honors Caputo for 40 years of service

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - North Salem has given one of its finest a special send-off to acknowledge his more than 40 years of dedication to the community.

Lt. Neil F. Caputo, who officially retired on March 15, joined the local police department on Dec. 14, 1982.

The 60-something-year-old was honored at a brief ceremony at the Town Board’s March 11 meeting.

Caputo has worn many hats.

He began his journey of service to the town in 1979 when he joined its recreation department.

That was the same year Caputo became a member of the Croton Falls Fire Department. He’s held a number of positions there, including chief from 1997 to 2000.

A former emergency management coordinator for the town, Caputo also belonged to the local ambulance corps.

That’s on top of his full-time jobs as Westchester County’s director of fire services and county fire coordinator under the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. (Caputo’s hanging up his helmet and boots there at the end of this month.)

Supervisor Warren Lucas told Caputo that it was an “immense pleasure” for him and the Town Board to be able to highlight his many contributions and to wish him well as he started a new chapter in his life.

 “I know you’re not going any place right away and will be involved in everything still but …,” he said before reading a proclamation expressing the town’s “profound gratitude and appreciation” for his service.

Tuesday, March 11, was – therefore – designated as Neil Caputo Day in North Salem.

In the police department, he rose through the ranks, first becoming a sergeant and then a lieutenant in 2016.

As a member of the CFFD, Caputo held numerous leadership positions, including lieutenant, captain, second assistant chief, first assistant chief, vice president, and fire district commissioner.

As an EMT with the North Salem Volunteer Ambulance Corps, he “selflessly” provided “emergency medical assistant to those in need,” the proclamation said, adding that he had “further demonstrated his commitment to public safety” through his work with Westchester County as “chief and director of the Department of Emergency Services, fire division, county fire department.”

He contributed his “expertise” to the town’s emergency management team as coordinator from 2010 to 2011, “ensuring the safety and preparedness of our residents,” the proclamation read.

Caputo’s “dedication to duty extended beyond the call of routine patrol,” it noted, pointing to “an impressive foot pursuit near Outhouse Orchard that showcased his remarkable speed and determination.”

“Maria (Hlushko, town clerk and longtime NSVAC member) did tell me you were fast, so talk to her about that one,” Lucas advised Caputo, who chuckled at the memory.

Caputo recalled later that one day he’d been driving on Hardscrabble Road when another car crossed the double yellow line and struck a school bus. Because he was off duty, he called for help. When the state trooper arrived, the driver took off running.

They both chased the suspect down and nabbed him on Fields Lane.

Also among the proclamation’s numerous whereases was a lighthearted mention of Caputo’s “deep passion” for all things Walt Disney.

When not performing his professional or volunteer duties, he “continues to make trips annually to Disney World, embracing the magic and joy it brings,” the proclamation said.

“I think we’ve got a Disney hat around here for you somewhere,” Lucas joked.

(It's for "all ages," said Caputo, who's especially fond of EPCOT events such as its flower and garden show.)

‘A Great Asset’ 

Caputo’s been “a great asset to the North Salem Police Department,” Chief Tom Howley, told Halston Media, noting that he'd been in charge of its communications and was its liaison to the Westchester County Police Department.

Caputo was also the go-to person for its automatic electronic defibrillator, first aid supplies, and the computer systems at headquarters and in patrol cars.

Calling him “a friend to all the police officers over the years,” Howley said Caputo “will be sorely missed.”

Looking Back 

With its low crime rate, North Salem’s considered a very safe and peaceful place to live.

Violent events and similar tragedies are “very rare, thank God,” Caputo says.

In his four plus decades as a police officer in the rural town, he’s been fortunate to only have been called out on a couple of homicides and a plane crash.

It's things like helping out at community events such as road races and being able to be there for folks in their time of need that Caputo remember with fondness and gratitude.

The town always had police officers, but they never patrolled – “except on Halloween,” Caputo recalled.

The current law enforcement configuration began as a part-time force that was formed in the early 1980s to supplement the New York State Police.

It started out small with a desk, filing cabinet, and one patrol car in a cramped space at the town’s highway garage.

It eventually relocated to a “yellow house” at the corner of Fields Lane and Hardscrabble Road, then moved to a spot over a bank on June Road.

At some point, police wound up in the basement of the town building inspector’s offices on Titicus Road.

The department finally got its own home – 66 June Road, where the town court and meeting room are also located.

Deeply invested in North Salem and his fellow residents, Caputo said he hopes to be able to contribute to its success and to their well-being for a long time to come.

Thanking the town for allowing him to serve it for the last 43 years, the new retiree called it “a great experience.”